Wrexham have lost Andy Cannon for a prolonged period and Phil Parkinson will need to get creative to replace him.
Wrexham clashed with Mansfield Town on Sunday afternoon and came away with a 2-1 victory thanks to an own goal and Max Cleworth’s seventh league goal of the season.
That result, coupled with Wycombe Wanderers dropping points, has pushed Phil Parkinson and co. right back into the automatic promotion race.
It was not all positive over the weekend, however, as Andy Cannon suffered an injury toward the end of the first 45 versus The Stags.
The midfielder was stretchered off the pitch after receiving oxygen and is now facing a length spell on the sidelines.
Wrexham provided an update on Cannon late on Tuesday, writing: “We can confirm that Andy Cannon suffered a ruptured ACL in the match against Mansfield Town.
“He will undergo surgery next week, and faces a significant period of rehabilitation time post-surgery.”
Andy Cannon injury could see Wrexham ace given new role
An exact timeframe for the player’s return is yet to be confirmed but as most ruptured ACL injuries take around six to nine months to fully heal, it is very likely that Cannon will not play again this season.
This is obviously devastating for the player and also means Parkinson will have to find a replacement for the regular starter.
George Evans could replace Cannon despite only playing 105 minutes of League One football so far this season.
Wrexham may sign a free agent to cover for the Englishman as well, like they did with Evans back in October when they landed Matty James.
However, Parkinson could also look to rising star Harry Ashfield and hand him some minutes in the centre of midfield.
Harry Ashfield excelled in midfield for Wrexham
Ashfield is the latest gem to emerge from the club’s youth ranks and has been earning rave reviews in recent months.
The 19-year-old scored his first senior goal for the Red Dragons when playing just behind the striker in the 4-1 hammering of Port Vale.
Prior to that, Ashfield was compared to Andres Iniesta by Ryan Barnett after he started and impressed in the centre of midfield for Wrexham versus Wolverhampton Wanderers’ U21s in the EFL Trophy back in October.
He played 80 minutes and clearly showed he can do a job in midfield if required, which he may now have to do after Cannon’s injury blow was confirmed.